2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

[gablett]

So I love this guitar. Hands down my favorite guitar. Ive owned it for 6 months now and I've really tried to like the pickups. Im not one to jump right into changing anything about a guitar. But Im struggling with them, particularly the bridge. The neck tone is really nice, but not the best I've heard. The bridge just seems searingly bright and pretty low output. Like palm muting just doesn't have anything behind it. I play mostly blues, classic rock, to hard rock. Not much metal or super high gain. Maybe some metallica once in a while.

So Im looking for some suggestions. I dont want to spend a fortune on pickups. Maybe the $200 range for a set. I like that paf vintage les paul sound quite a bit. Pearly gates and 36th anniversary P pafs were on my radar but Ive also seen people say PG are little thin and bright. I've also seen some pictures where people put pickups in these with covers and it looks killer, so I would probably go that route. What do you guys think?

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

My buddy has a Zack Myers SE & he also found the stock puppies kinda bright/thin...

We were able to track down a used set of Lollor Imperial's or Fleaverb for $150 shipped & then he had me put them in for him. The guitar just woke up when I plugged it in to test!!! I'd used the same set in a L.P. previously & they were ehh, but in the PRS they sounded great IMHO!!! I had the guitar for three days before he came to pick it up & I really didn't want to give it back, LOL!!!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Just put your favorite Duncans in it.

I like Antiquitys.

Also like Seth Lovers without covers.

Also like Pearly Gates.

Also like 59's with RCA5 magnets.

Whatever YOU like, put them in there and sell the SE pickups on Reverb. You should be able to get about $40 for the pair.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

I guess thats the advice Im looking for as I have limited experience with aftermarket pickups. Looking for something with a good blues classic rock tone that isn't super bright that might tone down the guitar a bit.

 

[AZ Picker]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Slash APH2 set, big and fat sounding, I think they would be pretty much what you are after. My only concern is if the long mounting legs would fit in your guitar. If that's an issue the Regular APH-1 set would be great too, or the Saturday night Special set. But if you want to tame a bright guitar I think the Slash set would be great.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

I hadnt thought about the slash set. It seems to be pretty dimensionally equal to a les paul.

On the other recommendations Im concerned about noise in non potted pickups especially in a semi hollow. Is this a valid concern or not?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Any of the neck pickups that the others listed will be great. To fix the ice pick bridge you need to increase output. Choose a mid or high output humbucker like the Custom 5 or JB.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

So I love this guitar. Hands down my favorite guitar. Ive owned it for 6 months now and I've really tried to like the pickups. Im not one to jump right into changing anything about a guitar. But Im struggling with them, particularly the bridge. The neck tone is really nice, but not the best I've heard. The bridge just seems searingly bright and pretty low output. Like palm muting just doesn't have anything behind it. I play mostly blues, classic rock, to hard rock. Not much metal or super high gain. Maybe some metallica once in a while.

So Im looking for some suggestions. I dont want to spend a fortune on pickups. Maybe the $200 range for a set. I like that paf vintage les paul sound quite a bit. Pearly gates and 36th anniversary P pafs were on my radar but Ive also seen people say PG are little thin and bright. I've also seen some pictures where people put pickups in these with covers and it looks killer, so I would probably go that route. What do you guys think?

Okay, if the guitar is bright, then 59b and PGb are not the direction i would go. these pups are bright (pg) neutral (59). If the guitar is on the bright side when played unplugged then go with a darker pup. maybe the APII set or a Custom in the bridge? The custom could have too much output for you though. I am not sure if the Slash set is darker or brighter than the standard APII?? Maybe someone else has that answer? I'm a LP player, so I typically don't have to look for darker pups.

Just thought about it. Maybe try a 300k pot swap, if the stock ones are 500K.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Okay, if the guitar is bright, then 59b and PGb are not the direction i would go. these pups are bright (pg) neutral (59). If the guitar is on the bright side when played unplugged then go with a darker pup. maybe the APII set or a Custom in the bridge? The custom could have too much output for you though. I am not sure if the Slash set is darker or brighter than the standard APII?? Maybe someone else has that answer? I'm a LP player, so I typically don't have to look for darker pups.

Just thought about it. Maybe try a 300k pot swap, if the stock ones are 500K.

So what Im wondering now that are getting me thinking is if its that the pickup is bright or if the guitar is bright. Played acoustically along side my solid body LP. the semi hollow is louder, but I dont think its brighter. Maybe its not that this guitar is bright but that theses pickups are voiced bright. So maybe its not that I need a darker pickup but one that is more balanced with less of a Treble peak? Does that make any sense?

Im leaning towards the Seths TBH.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

So what Im wondering now that are getting me thinking is if its that the pickup is bright or if the guitar is bright. Played acoustically along side my solid body LP. the semi hollow is louder, but I dont think its brighter. Maybe its not that this guitar is bright but that theses pickups are voiced bright. So maybe its not that I need a darker pickup but one that is more balanced with less of a Treble peak? Does that make any sense?

Im leaning towards the Seths TBH.

Okay, so the guitar in question is a hollow body or Semi Hollow? What are the body woods? List Top, Back Neck and Center Block, if applicable.

Hollow bodies won't sound the same as a solid body acoustically, nor will it plugged in.

Okay, I researched looks like:

Neck mahogany
Back Mahogany
Top Maple
Center Block assuming its Mahogany.

So, I think semi hollows have a thinner sound, when plugged in, in general. I could be wrong. Think about those famous semi hollow players:

Ted Nugent
Alex Lifeson
Chuck Berry
BB King

Most of their Thicker tones are on the neck pup, and they ain't all that thick. So I guess I'm saying is you will never get this guitar to sound like a Les Paul, if that is what you might be after.

So I would go neutral or thicker in pups. Its gonna be trial and error, but have fun with it.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Okay, so the guitar in question is a hollow body or Semi Hollow? What are the body woods? List Top, Back Neck and Center Block, if applicable.

Hollow bodies won't sound the same as a solid body acoustically, nor will it plugged in.

Okay, I researched looks like:

Neck mahogany
Back Mahogany
Top Maple
Center Block assuming its Mahogany.

So, I think semi hollows have a thinner sound, when plugged in, in general. I could be wrong. Think about those famous semi hollow players:

Ted Nugent
Alex Lifeson
Chuck Berry
BB King

Most of their Thicker tones are on the neck pup, and they ain't all that thick. So I guess I'm saying is you will never get this guitar to sound like a Les Paul, if that is what you might be after.

So I would go neutral or thicker in pups. Its gonna be trial and error, but have fun with it.

Yep you nailed the construction. I understand what you are saying. But if you have to pick a set of pickups to get what I’m after what would you choose?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

The Seth is class, get that for the neck. For the bridge, choose something with medium or high output, otherwise you'll have the same problem as your existing bridge pickup.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

The Seth is class, get that for the neck. For the bridge, choose something with medium or high output, otherwise you'll have the same problem as your existing bridge pickup.

Is pearly gates high output? What would you suggest.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

The JB is my favorite bridge humbucker and I've had it with a Seth Lover in the neck and it paired well. So I suggest the JB.

The Pearly Gates is vintage or low output. You can group the pickups by output on the left side of the page.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

A few to check out: either an Alnico II Pro set, a Slash set, or even a Custom Custom (for more mids & output) in the bridge. With any of these, you won't have a bright/thin problem.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

A few to check out: either an Alnico II Pro set, a Slash set, or even a Custom Custom (for more mids & output) in the bridge. With any of these, you won't have a bright/thin problem.

I do like the demo sound of the slash set. So that’s a high output option?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Pretty much all the Duncan neck humbuckers are regular output regardless of how they're classified, but some are high. They will all give you a full sound. Although the Slash set is classified as vintage, the neck is regular output and the bridge is vintage output. To avoid getting another pickup that is too bright and palm mutes weak as you mentioned, I recommend you choose a medium or high output pickup for your bridge spot.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

The Seth is class, get that for the neck. For the bridge, choose something with medium or high output, otherwise you'll have the same problem as your existing bridge pickup.

I will second this!!

You wanna go thicker in the bridge, So look at the Custom Variants (Custom or Custom Custom)

Your Neck you didn't say you need to thicken up so, any Vintage output Duncan would work and all of Seymour's Vintage take on the PAFs are great (59, APII, Seth, Whole Lotta, SNS). I think the Slash is Wired a little hotter, so that might hold up better Paired with the Custom.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

I do like the demo sound of the slash set. So that’s a high output option?

Well, it is higher than some pickups, but not what I'd consider 'high output'. Thing is, there is tons more string activity in the neck position, so you have to be a little careful on output if you want the pickups to balance. For some people that is important, for some, they don't care.

 

[gablett]

Re: 2017 PRS se zach myers really bright

Well, it is higher than some pickups, but not what I'd consider 'high output'. Thing is, there is tons more string activity in the neck position, so you have to be a little careful on output if you want the pickups to balance. For some people that is important, for some, they don't care.

Ok so maybe a Seth in the neck then.

I think while I’m in there I might replace all the wiring pots and switches to the vintage les the Paul wiring and orange drop caps.